Okay, dudes......I have written the third chapter in the first book of the
BEFORE THE LABYRINTH series. Please r&r.....I hope you like it.
Peeeeeeeeeeeace....
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Around nine o' clock that night, David retired to the back room and fell asleep. Elaina was far too anxious to wait another hour, so she quickly took her ragged old coat off the hook and put it on. She grabbed a small loaf of bread, stuck it in her pocket, seized up an empty pitcher and crept out the door.
Earlier, she had snuck an extra lantern to Gibbs' home and had almost been spotted by his grandmother. But, thanks to the color of her dress that blended with her surroundings and keen hiding skills, she managed to escape the woman's wicked broom.
She decided to take the shorter route through town, which she usually wouldn't do at this time of the night for fear someone would see her and tell David.
But she wanted to get to the cave as soon as possible, so she stayed in the shadows and stole quietly along the cobblestone streets. She got through unhindered and as soon as she reached the outskirts she broke into a run. She ran up the banks, but didn't go through the birches. Instead, she took a detour and filled up the pitcher with fresh water from a spring she had recently discovered.
Then, she ran back down the banks, through the trees and into the hole.
She was shocked to see Gibbs already sitting on his little sack chair when she arrived in the cave. "What are you doing here? You're an hour early!"
"So are you," he said with a bitter smile.
"What happened?"
He shrugged. "I have been here for a few hours. My grandmother threw me out of the house and locked the door. I thought I would come here and wait for you."
"Oh my god, why?"
"I had no where else to go."
She sighed, "Gibbs, come on, talk to me...."
He shrugged again. "We...had an argument, that's all. She yelled a little, then I yelled a little....next thing I know, I'm sitting here on a pile of dirt, nibbling a piece of her disgustingly dry bread that I managed to grab before that damn broom hit me in the ass."
She sat down next to him and put her arm around his waist. "Oh, Gibbs....I am so sorry. Here." She handed him the loaf of bread she had brought.
He took a bite and smiled.
"There. Feel better?"
"Much, thank you. God, this is amazing!"
"I know...David baked it."
He just looked at her with a shocked expression on his boyish face.
"I know...he is a surprisingly good cook. Almost as good a cook as he is a blacksmith."
Gibbs finished his bread, they had some water from the pitcher and then sat down in the cool depths of the underground cave and worked out the fine details of their plan.
Elaina suggested that they just try summoning the faery to the cave, but Gibbs thought it would be a better idea to call it back to the place of it's first appearance. She supposed it made sense, so she didn't press.
They worked on the plan and ran it through a few times to make sure they were prepared for anything that could possibly go wrong.
"Well...I think we just might be able to do this," Gibbs said.
Elaina nodded. "Gibbs?"
"Mmm....?"
"I.I hope I wasn't the cause of confliction between you and your grandmother."
"Not the sole cause, no. It was...pretty general."
"Liar. Come on, tell me about it."
He just shrugged, a gesture that was starting to really annoy her. "Nothing to tell."
"Ugh. Well, all right then. I'm not going to pressure you. Shall we?" She stood up and held out her arm to him.
"We most certainly shall," he said as he took her arm and she helped him up.
They ran through the plans a few more times while walking to the shop. They took their time.
* * *
When they got to the shop, Elaina left Gibbs at the door and tiptoed across the shop to make sure David was asleep. When she saw him soundly slumbering on his straw bed, she smiled and snuck back outside. She grabbed Gibbs by the collar and pulled him inside.
"Ugh!" he cried in surprise. He smoothed his collar and Elaina shushed him.
"Be quiet! My god, man, do you want to get caught?" she whispered loudly.
He mumbled something incoherent and shut up.
Elaina moved to the window and opened it. She turned around and faced Gibbs. She pointed in the direction of David and mouthed the words "watch him".
Gibbs obeyed. Elaina turned back around and stared out the window at the stretch of gorgeous young pine trees. Suddenly, there was a clap of thunder and the rain began to pour.
She jumped back from the window with a start. She looked at Gibbs. He just looked back. He didn't know.
She faced the window yet again and heaved a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and whispered the words: "Come to me".
The rain continued to pour. No swirl of colour, no rush of ecstasy, nothing. Nothing but the smell of pine and the sound of rain hitting the floor of pine needles.
She sighed and looked back at Gibbs. He gestured for her to try again.
She turned back and said it a bit louder. "Come to me."
Gibbs came up beside her and stared at the pouring rain. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said it again. "Come to me."
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing....
She sighed and Gibbs put his arm around her waist. They turned around and started out the door. Gibbs patted her arm, reassuring her that they could try again tomorrow night and every night after until they succeeded.
Suddenly, Gibbs broke away from her and went over to David's workbench. He picked up the little iron mask and held it up. "Is this it?" he whispered.
Elaina nodded and took it from him. She held it up to her face and had Gibbs tie the two pieces of blue satin ribbon around her head. She went to the window and said the words as loud as she could without waking David up. "Come to me!"
In a flurry of colourful cloth and that wonderful scent, he found herself staring, again, at that gorgeous entity of the night before. She heard Gibbs gasp behind her.
The creature stared at her again with that dissolving smile. Her heart raced and the blood rushed to her face. But this time, instead of disappearing, it held out its hand to her. She stared at the long, gloved fingers.
She turned and looked at Gibbs. He was staring at the thing with his mouth open, totally oblivious to the outstretched hand. She sighed and turned back around.
She reached her hand out slowly, reluctantly. As soon as her fingers grazed the black leather gloves, she was pitched into a spinning tumult of light, sounds, colours and scents.
She hit a hard surface with a sudden impact and everything went black.
Yay.....don't you just LOVE all this suspense? I'll get chapter four up as soon as possible. Until then....well...sit on pins on needles!!!!!
Jareth: Pins and needles????!!!??? Ugh, this awful mortal little expressions...I tire of them so quickly...
*sighs, turns around and walks away* No way am I doing this right now. It's too late for this......
Jareth: Big baby...
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Around nine o' clock that night, David retired to the back room and fell asleep. Elaina was far too anxious to wait another hour, so she quickly took her ragged old coat off the hook and put it on. She grabbed a small loaf of bread, stuck it in her pocket, seized up an empty pitcher and crept out the door.
Earlier, she had snuck an extra lantern to Gibbs' home and had almost been spotted by his grandmother. But, thanks to the color of her dress that blended with her surroundings and keen hiding skills, she managed to escape the woman's wicked broom.
She decided to take the shorter route through town, which she usually wouldn't do at this time of the night for fear someone would see her and tell David.
But she wanted to get to the cave as soon as possible, so she stayed in the shadows and stole quietly along the cobblestone streets. She got through unhindered and as soon as she reached the outskirts she broke into a run. She ran up the banks, but didn't go through the birches. Instead, she took a detour and filled up the pitcher with fresh water from a spring she had recently discovered.
Then, she ran back down the banks, through the trees and into the hole.
She was shocked to see Gibbs already sitting on his little sack chair when she arrived in the cave. "What are you doing here? You're an hour early!"
"So are you," he said with a bitter smile.
"What happened?"
He shrugged. "I have been here for a few hours. My grandmother threw me out of the house and locked the door. I thought I would come here and wait for you."
"Oh my god, why?"
"I had no where else to go."
She sighed, "Gibbs, come on, talk to me...."
He shrugged again. "We...had an argument, that's all. She yelled a little, then I yelled a little....next thing I know, I'm sitting here on a pile of dirt, nibbling a piece of her disgustingly dry bread that I managed to grab before that damn broom hit me in the ass."
She sat down next to him and put her arm around his waist. "Oh, Gibbs....I am so sorry. Here." She handed him the loaf of bread she had brought.
He took a bite and smiled.
"There. Feel better?"
"Much, thank you. God, this is amazing!"
"I know...David baked it."
He just looked at her with a shocked expression on his boyish face.
"I know...he is a surprisingly good cook. Almost as good a cook as he is a blacksmith."
Gibbs finished his bread, they had some water from the pitcher and then sat down in the cool depths of the underground cave and worked out the fine details of their plan.
Elaina suggested that they just try summoning the faery to the cave, but Gibbs thought it would be a better idea to call it back to the place of it's first appearance. She supposed it made sense, so she didn't press.
They worked on the plan and ran it through a few times to make sure they were prepared for anything that could possibly go wrong.
"Well...I think we just might be able to do this," Gibbs said.
Elaina nodded. "Gibbs?"
"Mmm....?"
"I.I hope I wasn't the cause of confliction between you and your grandmother."
"Not the sole cause, no. It was...pretty general."
"Liar. Come on, tell me about it."
He just shrugged, a gesture that was starting to really annoy her. "Nothing to tell."
"Ugh. Well, all right then. I'm not going to pressure you. Shall we?" She stood up and held out her arm to him.
"We most certainly shall," he said as he took her arm and she helped him up.
They ran through the plans a few more times while walking to the shop. They took their time.
* * *
When they got to the shop, Elaina left Gibbs at the door and tiptoed across the shop to make sure David was asleep. When she saw him soundly slumbering on his straw bed, she smiled and snuck back outside. She grabbed Gibbs by the collar and pulled him inside.
"Ugh!" he cried in surprise. He smoothed his collar and Elaina shushed him.
"Be quiet! My god, man, do you want to get caught?" she whispered loudly.
He mumbled something incoherent and shut up.
Elaina moved to the window and opened it. She turned around and faced Gibbs. She pointed in the direction of David and mouthed the words "watch him".
Gibbs obeyed. Elaina turned back around and stared out the window at the stretch of gorgeous young pine trees. Suddenly, there was a clap of thunder and the rain began to pour.
She jumped back from the window with a start. She looked at Gibbs. He just looked back. He didn't know.
She faced the window yet again and heaved a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and whispered the words: "Come to me".
The rain continued to pour. No swirl of colour, no rush of ecstasy, nothing. Nothing but the smell of pine and the sound of rain hitting the floor of pine needles.
She sighed and looked back at Gibbs. He gestured for her to try again.
She turned back and said it a bit louder. "Come to me."
Gibbs came up beside her and stared at the pouring rain. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said it again. "Come to me."
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing....
She sighed and Gibbs put his arm around her waist. They turned around and started out the door. Gibbs patted her arm, reassuring her that they could try again tomorrow night and every night after until they succeeded.
Suddenly, Gibbs broke away from her and went over to David's workbench. He picked up the little iron mask and held it up. "Is this it?" he whispered.
Elaina nodded and took it from him. She held it up to her face and had Gibbs tie the two pieces of blue satin ribbon around her head. She went to the window and said the words as loud as she could without waking David up. "Come to me!"
In a flurry of colourful cloth and that wonderful scent, he found herself staring, again, at that gorgeous entity of the night before. She heard Gibbs gasp behind her.
The creature stared at her again with that dissolving smile. Her heart raced and the blood rushed to her face. But this time, instead of disappearing, it held out its hand to her. She stared at the long, gloved fingers.
She turned and looked at Gibbs. He was staring at the thing with his mouth open, totally oblivious to the outstretched hand. She sighed and turned back around.
She reached her hand out slowly, reluctantly. As soon as her fingers grazed the black leather gloves, she was pitched into a spinning tumult of light, sounds, colours and scents.
She hit a hard surface with a sudden impact and everything went black.
Yay.....don't you just LOVE all this suspense? I'll get chapter four up as soon as possible. Until then....well...sit on pins on needles!!!!!
Jareth: Pins and needles????!!!??? Ugh, this awful mortal little expressions...I tire of them so quickly...
*sighs, turns around and walks away* No way am I doing this right now. It's too late for this......
Jareth: Big baby...